Cable clamp



Aug. 1, 1939. B. L. DONALD 2,167,799

CABLE CLAMP Inventor Attorneys Aug. 1, 1939.

B: DONALD 2,157,799

CABLE CLAMP Filed March 2, 1938 Attorneys 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 1, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE one-third to Francis` T. Findlay and one-third to George A. ONeil, both of Niagara Falls, N. Y.

Application March 2,

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in cable clamps for use in coupling cables together.

The invention is designed with the particular purpose in View of devising a device of this character which, as compared with present day clamps for similar purposes, is more efcient as regards clamping action, less expensive to manufacture, stronger, and adapted to grip the cable more firmly as the load on the cable is increased and without injuring or weakening the same.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claim are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a View in longitudinal section taken substantially on the line I-I of Figure 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a similar View taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

Figure 3 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 4 is a view in longitudinal section of a modified form of the invention,

Figure 5 is a view in longitudinal section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

Figure 6 is a View in transverse section taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 4 looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure '7 is a view similar to Figure 4 illustrating the coupling block of the modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, in the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 3, the clamp thereof comprises an outer coupling member I including a sleeve-like 45 front socket part 2 having a reduced front end 3, and a pair of laterally spaced cable attaching arms 4 extending from the rear end of the socket part 2 in parallel relation. The socket part 2 is provided` with a hexagonal axial bore 5 tapering toward the front end of said part. The arms 4 are spaced well beyond opposite sides of the rear end of the bore 5 to provide for ready access to said bore at said end thereof. A pair o-f apertures 6 are provided in the arms 4, respectively, adjacent the free ends thereof whereby the cou- 1938, Serial No. 193,587

pling member I may be secured to one end of a cable 1, as illustrated in Figure 1, for coupling to an end of another cable 8 in a manner presently seen.

Cooperating with the described coupling member I is an elongated clamping unit 8 of sleevelike form longitudinally tapered and shaped in cross section in correspondence with the bore 5 to fit from the rear end of the latter into the same with a wedging action. The unit 9 is formed of a pair of complemental sections l mating in side-by-side relation and longitudinally grcoved, as at II, to t around opposite sides of the cable 8 in slightly spaced-apart relation and 4to clamp the latter therebetween under wedging action oi the unit in the bore 5. The sections I0 arc grooved, as at I2, transversely, in the outer faces thereof to receive a split resilient clip I3 whereby the sections may be secured to opposite sides of said cable 8 preparatory to insertion in the bore 5. The grooves II are serrated, as at I4, to facilitate clamping action by the sections I0 and said sections are of the requisite length to extend slightly beyond the outer end of the socket part 2 when they are wedged home in the bore 5. The groove II of one section I0 at the rear end thereof is deepened, as at I5, and the other groove II terminates in a deepened socket I6 so that the extremity of the cable 8 may be looped as at I'I and clamped between said sections. A pair of studs I8 extend from the inner side of one section I0 upon opposite sides of the groove I I for insertion in a pair of apertures I9 in the other section I0 to key said sections together against relative longitudinal play.

Referring to the use of the described embodiment of the invention, the unit 9, preferably, is first applied to the cable 8, in the manner already described, with the sections IIJ secured together by the clip I3. The unit I0 may then be inserted in the bore from the rear end thereof and small end foremost. The cable 1 is` then connected to the arms 4 in the manner already described. Under loads exerted on either cable, the unit 8 is wedged into the bore 5 whereby the sections Ill are urged toward each other against the opposite sides of the cable 8 into clamping relation thereto. As will be manifest, the greater the load imposed on the cable 8 the tighter the wedging action and consequently the tighter the clamping action exerted by the sections I0. As a variation in the described procedure, the cable I may be first attached to the arms 4, the unit 9 inserted in the bore .5, and the cable 8 threaded through the unit 9 from the front end of the latter. When it is desired to detach, or uncouple the cables, the unit 9 may be loosened in the bore 5 suiiciently to permit withdrawal of the cable 8 by tapping the outer projecting ends of the sections 9.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 4 to 7, a clamp is provided for forming a loop in a cable 20, to secure the same to a post, or spar, 2 I. In this instance the clamp comprises a coupling block 22 somewhat rectangular in edge outline and having extending therethrough a pair of longitudinal bores 23 located upon opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the block. The bores 23 are hexagonal, transversely, and longitudinally tapered but in relatively opposite directions. Each bore 23 is designed to receive a clamping unit 24, similar to unit 8, whereby the sections 25 of the units are urged into c1arnping relation by pull exerted thereagainst in opposite directions.

In the use of this modified form of the invention, a loop 26 is formed in the cable 20 to surround the post 2l, and the end of the cable is clamped between the sections 25 of the unit 24 which is adapted to be wedged into its bore 23 by pull exerted on the cable in the direction of the loop. A portion of the cable 20, beyond the loop 26, is similarly positioned in the sections 25 of the other unit 24 which as will be understood is adapted to be wedged into its bore 23 by pull exerted on the cable in a direction away from said loop. By this arrangement the greater the pull exerted on the main line of the cable the tighter the cable is clamped by the units 24 so that under maximum pull the loop 26 is held securely against pulling loose.

The foregoing constitutes a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of my invention and one modication thereof and which, it is believed, will be clearly understood without-further explanation, but it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible of modification other than as described and right is herein reserved to such modications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claim.

What I claim is:

In a cable clamp for securing two cables t0- gether, a coupling member including a sleevelike front socket part having a hexagonal bore extending longitudinally therethrough and tapering toward one end of said part, a pair of apertured arms extending from the opposite end of said part upon opposite sides of said bore, respectively, for attachment of one cable thereto, an elongated clamping unit corresponding in shape to said bore and similarly tapered for insertion into said bore with a wedging action and comprising a pair of sections mating in side-byv side relation and longitudinally grooved to fit against opposite sides of the other cable in slightly spaced apart relation whereby said sections are urged into clamping relation to said cable under wedging action of the unit, the groove in one section having a gradually deepened rear end portion facilitating bending the tail end of the cable back upon itself into loop formation, and the groove in the other section having a. pocket portion opposed to the deepened portion for receiving the tail end of the cable and clamping said tail end against the cable in said deepened portion, means to facilitate mating the sections comprising a pair of dowel pins extending from one section adjacent the rear end thereof, the other section having apertures therein for receiving said pins, and means to detachably secure the sections together comprising a split resilient ring, the sections being grooved substantially midway of the ends thereof to receive said ring.

BRUCE L. DONALD. 

